Second Time Around
by whitedandelions
Summary: After witnessing the deaths of Night Raid and Esdeath as well as dying himself, Tatsumi wakes up on the day he leaves for the Capital. He gets a second chance in life, and hopefully, this time, he can make the right choice. TatsumixEsdeath
1. Chapter 1

Title: Second Time Around  
>Summary: After witnessing the deaths of Night Raid and Esdeath as well as dying himself, Tatsumi wakes up on the day he leaves for the Capital. He gets a second chance in life, and hopefully, this time, he can make the right choice. TatsumixEsdeath.<p>

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

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><p>Tatsumi sank to the floor, Incursio falling away from him as the last of his energy ran out. His blood bubbled out of his wound, falling onto luscious locks of blue hair, staining it a deep red. Tears continued to spill down his cheeks as he looked at the woman before him and he could barely summon enough energy to press his hand to her cheek, prompting a small smile from Esdeath.<p>

"Tatsumi," she said softly, struggling to press her own hand against his, "Don't be sad. I don't regret it."

He shook his head at her words, "No, it's all my fault. I should have-"

"That's what I liked about you, Tatsumi. You followed your heart and you never listened to me. I would have never fallen so in love with you if you weren't you."

He gazed down at her, despondent as he looked down at her dying body.

He had thought her invincible. Even if Night Raid had won, even if they had succeeded in righting the wrongs of the world, he never would have thought Esdeath would have died. For some reason, he still held on hope that she would change for the better, that she would finally realize what that she was serving the wrong people.

Some part of him loved her.

And he had realized it too late.

Everyone was dead. The Prime Minister had turned on Esdeath, just as she had always expected him to. Still, expectation did not stop the Prime Minister from winning. It was a simple enough tactic, one that Tatsumi never thought would've worked. He had drained Esdeath of most of her blood, taking away her teigu as well as her life.

It never should've worked, but the teigu was seemingly comptatible with the Prime Minister. As a result, he had used it to wreak havoc on the remaining Night Raid. Esdeath had always held back on them; the Prime Minister had sliced Mine, Leone, and Akame in half before they even had a chance. Tatsumi had barely gotten away thanks to Incursio, but even then he hadn't been fast enough to dodge a fatal ice shard.

"I never wanted it to turn out like this," he admitted truthfully as he slowly continued to stroke her cheek with care. "I just wanted to live in a world with peace. Where the rich didn't take advantage of the poor, and girls suffering from poverty weren't sold into the lives they didn't want. But it seems as if the rich always win."

"You mustn't blame yourself," said Esdeath sadly. "It's not your fault, Tatsumi."

"It is! I should've listened to you. I should've taken you up on that offer and stayed with you. I should've tried to change things from the inside. The Revolution was always a far-fetched goal, and I don't know why I thought it would be otherwise."

"Tatsumi," said Esdeath, and for the first time, Tatsumi saw tears in her ice blue eyes.

"I wish I did. I wish I could go back in time and make the right decision. Because," he paused here, coughing out blood before finding his courage and energy and slowly leaning downward and pressing chapped lips against her forehead. "I love you, Esdeath, and I think I always have."

The tears finally fell from her eyes as she closed them at his words, "Thank you, Tatsumi."

She was gone in seconds, but she died with a smile on her face.

Tatsumi couldn't stop the hysterical sobs erupting from his mouth as he let go of the rest of his energy, falling forward and landing onto her body. He had fought his feelings for so long before finally admitting them to himself, and now he would die before he could do anything with the revelation.

Life was cruel.

But maybe the next life would be better.

As he closed his eyes for the last time, Tatsumi found himself wishing for a second chance.

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><p>He startled awake, a gasp leaving his lips as he fully opened his green eyes to harsh sunlight. Where was he?<p>

The ground was hard, but softened by the grass. He was out in the opening somewhere, and although he was disorientated and should definitely be _dead_, he recognized where he was. He was only miles away from his village. Slowly, he made his way toward the lake near him, hoping that he would be able to wash the blood away from his wound.

He was confused, and definitely still didn't know why he was alive and not dead, but there were more important things to worry about than how he got there. First he had to clean his wound and find a safe place to hide before the Prime Minister found him. When he lifted his shirt to clean off the wound, he was startled to find that his wound wasn't there. There were no traces of it, and when he pressed down hard on his skin, he felt no pain.

That was when he glanced over at the lake, catching sight of his reflection.

He looked _young_.

Gone were the scars that had covered his body from multiple fights and he definitely looked as if he had de-aged. He looked...like he did when he had left his village.

But if he had really went back in time, then…

"Incursio!" he shouted out, and was immediately reassured by the feeling of Incursio coming out and covering his body with impenetrable armor. And was promptly shocked at his reflection for the second time of the day.

Incursio was no longer white. Instead it was pitch black, with a cape that was ragged at the edges. Skulls adorned the side of the armor, and chains criss-crossed their way up his legs and arms. And there was a ragged hood on top of his armor, encasing his helmet in darkness and making it hard to see.

But the most surprising change was the long scythe that had taken the place of his sword. It was _huge_, and although he couldn't feel the weight of it while in Incursio, the scythe towered over him, with the edges gleaming and promising pain.

He looked like Death.

"Greetings, Tatsumi."

Tatsumi whirled around, immediately brandishing his scythe in front of him in order to heed off any unwanted attacks. His green eyes darted around the clearing, in hopes that he would see who was talking to him.

There was a raspy laugh as he did so, echoing eerily throughout the clearing.

"Show yourself," Tatsumi demanded.

"All in due time, little one. Don't you have more important things to ask? Such as, why I decided to send you back in time?"

"It was you?" Tatsumi asked in disbelief.

"Maybe, maybe not," teased the voice. "Okay, fine, it was me and you should be grateful I decided to do so. You were in for a quite the horrible fate down in hell."

"Why did you save me?" he asked warily. He couldn't say he believed the voice, but honestly, the voice had no reason to lie. Other than to drive him insane...but for now he was ruling that out.

"Well, let's just say the Prime Minister winning is something I don't want. And because you hardly reached your full potential in your other life. What with how demanding Night Raid was, you barely even had anytime to train! You had so much potential, but you squandered it away by staying with such a weak band of individuals."

Tatsumi winced at the voice's attack, feeling a spark of anger at the casual way the voice was talking about his life. "Night Raid wasn't weak," he started to protest, but he couldn't continue because he knew the voice was right. There was just too little of them; in reality, they had no chance against the Empire.

"Mmhm," the voice sassed, before becoming serious. "So I decided to give you a second chance. Don't mess it up. Oh, and your teigu isn't called Incursio anymore. Let's call it Death. It may not have the same powers as your old one, but I think you'll like them all the same. And Tatsumi? If you fail me this time, you won't be going to hell, because I'll personally serve you a fate even worse."

Tatsumi waited a few minutes in order to ensure that the voice truly did disappear before turning his thoughts inward and thinking about what just had happened.

So he had a second chance in life.

But this time, someone was watching over him and analyzing his every move. Even now, he felt as if eyes were upon him.

Joining Night Raid wasn't an option in this life. The voice had made that abundantly clear.

But what should he do then? He would rather die than join the Imperial Army, but it was obvious he wasn't going to be getting any stronger by staying away from the revolution.

Esdeath.

He thought back to what he had told her right before she had died, that he would do anything to go back in time in order to take her up on her offer.

He had a chance now.

Mind made up, Tatsumi stood and readied himself for take off.

First course of action: Find Esdeath.

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><p>AN: hoped you liked! :) I just wanted to write a little something for this fandom because the manga is so addicting ! And esdeath and Tatsumi are so cute together _ and although I do like Mine, I just like Esdeath so much better!

Please review/fav/alert! ^_^


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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><p>He wasn't sure where to start. It had been so long ago that his memory of this time was hazy at best. All he remembered was promising the village that he would do his best and then joining Night Raid when they attacked the family he had been staying with.<p>

It was with a start that he realized that his first course of action shouldn't be Esdeath, but instead Sayo and Ieyasu. He still had a chance to save them. But how?

He didn't have the time or the opportunity to babysit them after they reached the capital; the capital was far too dangerous for any person from the country to be in. But perhaps he still had a chance if they hadn't left the village yet.

Death was slower than Incursio, but still fast enough to get to the village before dusk. He wondered if the people of this time would realize that Death wasn't a teigu; instead, it had been crafted by supernatural means. It scared him that a supernatural being had taken an interest in him. It put pressure on him that he didn't particularly like. But he didn't have a choice, and the being's interest aligned with his at the moment so he had no reason to rebel.

He got there just when the sun was starting to set. The people of his village were starting to head back to their respective homes when he ducked behind cover and made Death melt away. When he popped out and waved a greeting, he received many friendly looks back. It startled him; he had forgotten what it was like to be welcomed so warmly into a huge group of people.

He had spent so long in the Capital and Night Raid that he hadn't had any time to go back to check on his village. Sure, he sent most of the money he earned back, but he hadn't felt a connection to them after Sayo and Ieyasu had died.

To be honest, he had been too scared. He didn't want to see Sayo and Ieyasu's parents and have to tell them what had happened. It had been easier to let them think that the large sum of money arriving each month was from the three of them combined. And what with Night Raid being attacked constantly, there had honestly been no time to go back.

He wondered if the money he had sent back had done any good. He had never been able to see the effects of it in his past life, and now, gazing upon the ruined walls and worn down pathways made his heart burn with regret. He wished he had taken the time to go back and see the village.

Before he had any more time to sink into a depression, a warm arm wrapped itself around him and a familiar pressure on top of his head accompanied it. It startled a gasp out of him and it was with wide green eyes that he twisted to look at his attacker.

Ieyasu stood in front of him, shocking the breath out of him. He stared dumbly for a few seconds, and it was only when Ieyasu released him that he was able to get out of his stupor. Ieyasu's grin was wide and his eyes playful, "Hey, Tat-chan. What's got you all up in a mood?"

"Probably still upset he couldn't come with us to hunting," came a cheerful voice, and a light pat on his back made him turn his gaze to Sayo.

His heart lurched when he thought back to when he had last saw them in his first life; Sayo hanging from the ceiling, tortured because her hair was straight and beautiful while Ieyasu succumbed to a fatal disease within his arms.

He shook his head in order to clear those thoughts out of his head; they were no longer important because Sayo and Ieyasu were here in front of him. They were _alive_ and even if he had failed them in their first life, it didn't mean he was going to fail them now.

Sayo laughed, the sound as clear and beautiful as he remembered it. "Told you," she said, shooting a smug look at Ieyasu before suddenly throwing her arms around him and pressing her whole dead weight onto him. "Aww," she continued to tease, "It's alright, Tat-chan, you'll be allowed to come with us soon. Besides, it's _very_ tiring and now I can't even walk straight. Carry me back, pretty please?"

She was _heavy_. It was with dismay that Tatsumi realized that all his muscles from his first life were now gone. He hadn't been weak when he had left for the Capital, but it was only through repeated death threats and intense battles that he had gotten so insanely strong. At this time of his life, he had been the weakest of the trio.

They all had trained under the same master after all. Both Sayo and Ieyasu had had the benefit of starting earlier than him, and their group dynamic had always had Tatsumi deferring to the two of them.

He blushed heavily when he remembered something that he would have wanted to left forgotten.

When he was this age, he had quite the massive crush on Sayo. How could he not? She was older than him, beautiful, and was proficient in both combat and hunting. Plus, she treated him with kindness in all of her actions.

"Am I too heavy?" asked Sayo when a long silence passed. Instead of getting offended, Sayo simply giggled, removing her weight from him and ruffling his hair. "Why don't we go get some food? Celebrate a hunt gone well."

Ieyasu whooped, "Alright! Last one there treats!" He was off in a manner of seconds, leaving a chuckling Sayo and a bemused Tatsumi behind.

Sayo offered her arm to Tatsumi, "Shall we go?"

Tatsumi shot her a smile; it warmed his heart to see the two and he wasn't going to lie to himself and say he was eager to leave. It was easy to sink back into old patterns, and part of him wanted to stay in the village. Life lived in ignorance was a blissful one after all.

But he needed to change the world, and for that, he had to leave.

He took her arm, and they set off after Ieyasu.

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><p>"Look," said Tatsumi seriously as he gazed into Ieyasu's warm brown eyes. "I think the trip to the Capital is a bad idea. Sure, our village doesn't have everything, but it's fool's errand to think we can just join the Imperial Army with no contacts or formal training. Isn't it better to stay here and at least live? We don't even know anything about the Capital, what if -"<p>

Ieyasu slammed his hand down on the table they were seated around, his eyes blazing and his mouth turned into a frown. "I never thought you were a coward, Tatsumi," he all but growled, and Tatsumi couldn't hide the flinch the words caused. "Do you really think we can survive without outside help? The path you're talking about leads us to certain death. At least we can _try_."

Sayo reached a hand out, gently patting Ieyasu's shoulder in order to calm him down. "Ieyasu, calm down," she said softly, before turning her attention to Tatsumi. "What happened, Tat-chan?" she said, kindly. "You were all for this plan just this morning."

Tatsumi couldn't meet her eyes, his gaze falling on his clenched fists. He couldn't explain to them that he had come back in time from a future so grim that it'll feature in his nightmares forever. He couldn't tell them of the all-encompassing depression that had possessed him after he had witnessed their deaths. And the fear that still had root in his heart; the fear that he had failed them and would continue to fail many others as he proceeded through life.

To them, he was still their little brother that they wanted to protect. His words would never reach them as they saw him now.

"I," he started, but paused and shut his mouth a moment later as he realized he really had no clue how to plead his case. The him now would have never seen the horrors that he had seen in the future, and he was still the happy-go-lucky kid that believed the world would bend to meet his expectations. "It's just a pipe dream, guys. There's so many things we don't know out there," he pleaded, "and there are so many things to go wrong."

Ieyasu scoffed at his words, his eyes still blazing in anger when Tatsumi met his gaze. "You're just _scared_."

"Yeah," retorted Tatsumi, a wry smile on his face. "I am."

Ieyasu seemed to be at a loss at his response, but Sayo seemed more willing to listen. "Why?" she asked. "You don't have to be afraid, Tat-chan, we'll be there with you every step of the way."

"I'm not afraid for myself," he pointed out. "I'm afraid for you and Ieyasu."

That seemed to be all Ieyasu could take. Ieyasu stood up, an angry snarl contorting his face. "You think you need to protect us, Tatsumi? Do you think we're weak? Don't forget, both Sayo and I are stronger than you. You weren't chosen to go on the hunting party for a reason, Tatsumi."

Tatsumi refused to back down; it was his friends' lives on the line if he wasn't able to convince them. "Just because you're stronger than me doesn't mean you're safe from everyone else out there."

"Ugh!" grunted Ieyasu, and suddenly he was jabbing his pointer finger into Tatsumi's chest. "That's it, we'll settle this with a duel. If you win, we won't go on the trip. But if I win, then Sayo and I will go. And you'll stay here by yourself, just like you wanted."

Sayo grabbed Ieyasu's arm, worry evident in her expression. "Ieyasu! Don't be like that, Tat-chan's just scared."

"We don't need a scared little boy going with us to the Capital, Sayo. If Tatsumi doesn't want to go, then he doesn't have to."

Sayo frowned at his words, but seemed to see the sense in them, dropping her hand away from Ieyasu and shooting a worried look at Tatsumi.

Tatsumi tried to send her a comforting smile back, but on the inside, his mind was researching frantically on how to defeat Ieyasu without using lethal force.

Ieyasu had been better than him in every aspect at this age. He was stronger, older, faster, and definitely more experienced. Sure, swords did have some advantages against axes, but the truth was Tatsumi didn't have the strength to make sure the hits stuck. The only reason Ieyasu had succumbed so fast in the Capital was because Aria had drugged him.

With every sense still working just fine, Ieyasu was going to be tough to defeat without using Death.

Add to the facts that Tatsumi was _extremely_ unfamiliar with his current body, and the chances of him winning were slim to none. He wasn't used to being so short, and walking had already been giving him a hard time.

But still, he had to try.

"You can still back out," said Ieyasu, his expression softening when Tatsumi didn't answer. "You haven't beat me once yet, after all. You can still come with us on our trip."

"Please," pleaded Sayo, "don't make this harder than it has to be, Tat-chan."

"I can't back down," he responded solemnly, picking up the sword that he had laid to the side when they had started eating.

Ieyasu's face hardened, swinging his axe down until it hit the ground with a loud thud. "Sayo, you step in if anything gets too heated."

"Alright," responded Sayo, sadly.

Tatsumi ignored her, feeling himself sink into the battle calm that happened every time before he entered combat. He had learned it from Sheele all those years ago and it still served him well now. He saw the axe swing coming toward him in slow motion, and it was easy for him to bring his sword up to block it.

The weapons hit each other with a loud clang, and the vibration almost made Tatsumi lose his grip on the sword. Ieyasu was _strong_, and it took all of Tatsumi's willpower to keep the sword held upright.

But he wasn't considered more nimble than Ieyasu for no reason, and shifting his weight onto one foot allowed him to use his other leg to do a low sweeping kick, forcing Ieyasu to fall backward in order to avoid letting Tatsumi have the upper hand.

Tatsumi didn't let Ieyasu catch his footing, rushing forward with a guttural cry and bringing his sword down hard. Ieyasu was barely able to bring his axe to block it, and when he did, Tatsumi switched targets, kicking out with a leg and impacting with Ieyasu's left thigh, drawing out a gasp from the older boy. He didn't let up, using his advantage to continue breaking Ieyasu's block.

Ieyasu suddenly thrust his axe upward when he was bringing his sword down, shocking him enough that he was forced to retreat to catch his breath. They both stood still for a minute, labored breathing and wary eyes, before Tatsumi rushed forward once again, intent on putting Ieyasu under another harsh round of blocking.

Unfortunately, the rush would lead to his downfall; his legs weren't moving as properly as he wanted them to because he still wasn't used to their length. As such, even though he saw the hilt of the axe coming toward his stomach, he wasn't in a position to dodge.

It hit with every ounce of Ieyasu's strength, sending Tatsumi backward a few feet until he landed hard on his back. He wheezed hard, already trying to get up when Ieyasu's axe made its way to his throat. "Yield," Ieyasu panted out.

Tatsumi closed his eyes in defeat; he had failed. "I yield."

Sayo was the one who helped him up. "I've never seen that before," she offered, a small smile on her face. "Have you been practicing without us?"

"I -"

"Leave him alone, Sayo," bit out Ieyasu, his eyes hard and his mouth set in a disappointed line. "He's not one of us anymore."

"Ieyasu!" chastised Sayo, "You're letting your pride get to you. Anyone would be scared if he had to leave everything he had ever known behind."

"Are _you _scared, then?"

When Sayo didn't answer, Tatsumi knew he had to do something. He had failed convincing them with words and with actions, but he still had one more trick up his sleeve.

"Don't freak out," he said, causing Ieyasu to scowl and Sayo's eyebrows to scrunch together in confusion.

He didn't need to yell out Incursio's name this time. The armor came willingly, cloaking him as if it was his second skin. It was as if his armor was insulted that Tatsumi had fought without him. When he opened his eyes, he wasn't surprised to see the shock on his friends' faces. Even less surprising was the underlying fear that was prominent in both of their eyes.

"What the hell?" asked Ieyasu, incredulously. He approached hesitantly, as if he was afraid that the armor had taken over Tatsumi rather than the other way around. Tatsumi didn't move when Ieyasu reached out and placed a hand on his armor, letting the boy convince himself that what he was seeing was real. "How did - what is - what the hell, Tat-chan?"

Sayo wasn't as brave; she stood a safe distance away, her shaking hands held tightly into fists.

Tatsumi found himself wishing, not for the first time, that he still had Incursio and not Death. Death was _weird_ and _frightening_ and in his opinion, just didn't suit him. But the voice that had talked to him did have a point. He couldn't have Incursio when Balut was still alive. But to change Incursio to this skull-covered, chains crossing, ragged cape and hood abomination was too horrifying to contemplate.

It was no wonder Sayo and Ieyasu seemed so appalled by his appearance.

"See? These are the things we may have to go up against. The Capital has many of these waiting out there, and there's no way we can fight against them."

"What are they?" asked Sayo, her teeth biting her lower lip in her nervousness.

"The man who gave it to me called them teigu. There's forty-eight of them out there right now, and as you can see, can lead to instant destruction if used properly."

"Is this why you don't want us to go on the trip anymore?"

Tatsumi reached upward, removing his hood and lifting the face plate so his friends could see his eyes. "I don't want to see you guys get hurt."

Ieyasu looked stricken, and he reached forward to place his hands on Tatsumi's shoulders, "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize," he responded promptly, reaching a gloved hand up to place on Ieyasu's.

Ieyasu shot him a watery grin, before flicking the armor playfully with two fingers. "So this thing, huh? What does it actually do?"

Tatsumi found himself grinning back, "Oh, just gives me super armor and increases my strength. And lets me fly. You know, just the normal stuff."

He could see Sayo roll her eyes from where she was standing before she approached the two of them. She didn't touch him, but with her easy smile, Tatsumi knew she wasn't angry at him. She was just scared.

"What the," murmured Ieyasu, his grin gone and a playful pout on his face, "I am so jealous!"

Sayo hesitantly reached out a finger, poking the skull that adorned his right shoulder and let out a small shriek when the skull shifted under her touch. "It-is it alive!?"

Tatsumi blinked wide eyes, shifting so he could look at the skull. The skull had stopped moving, but Tatsumi didn't doubt Sayo's words. She wouldn't make something like that up. "Your guess is as good as mine. I just found it today," he said, truthfully. He had no clue what the differences were between Death and Incursio, and he was eager to test it out.

Ieyasu and Sayo exchanged glances before a predatory smile slipped onto Ieyasu's face.

"How about we help you figure this thing out?"

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><p>Tatsumi was barely able to dodge the arrow that had come hurtling toward him from the right. It scraped the side of his armor, but he didn't even feel the hit, turning his dodge into a roll to safely bypass the obstacle his friends had put into place earlier.<p>

He stood upright seconds later, scanning the area around him quickly to try and find his friends. He had decided to first train without his scythe in order to get used to the body first. It was a good idea, especially since he was still having trouble getting his dodges and blocks down again.

Ieyasu and Sayo were being great about the teigu. They acknowledged that they were fearful of what it represented, but intelligent enough to realize that the teigu gave Tatsumi the power to save the village.

While they still wanted to go out and join the Imperial Army, they knew that it was much better to rely on Tatsumi to do their quest than to go with him. Although Ieyasu had looked slightly jealous and bitter, even he had admitted that Tatsumi would have to go alone. Sayo and Ieyasu would only serve to slow him down.

That didn't mean they would let him go without helping him.

Tatsumi appreciated their help. Human opponents were much better than dangerbeasts, which he had been planning to train against after he had left their village. Ieyasu and Sayo knew his fighting style well, and were just as eager as him to figure out Death.

So far, Tatsumi had already noticed some major differences. Not only was Death slower than Incursio, it's flight time had decreased noticeably. Death focused more on short distances, which was, in his mind, was extremely inconvenient. He had been planning on using his teigu to reach the North quickly, but it looked like he was going to have to find another way.

Death focused more on invisibility and stealth that Incursio did. It made sense, considering he had a ragged hood that even shrouded his armored face. His footsteps barely made a sound, and it was only when he was unlucky enough to step on a stray branch on the ground that he was noticed. It masked his presence a lot better than Incursio did; he thought fondly back on the time that Bulat had taught him about that.

Still, it had its drawbacks. First of all, Tatsumi's style didn't fit Death's. He wasn't one for sneaking around and just like Bulat had been, was more for a flashy fighting style. He had never really incorporated the stealth into his fighting unless it was a last resort. He liked to rely on his increased strength rather than analyzing the battle tactically. Just like Bulat, he had only really utilized the stealth option to either start the fight or to flee.

It looked as if his fighting style was going to have to change if he wanted to make full use of Death.

The chains on his armor seemed to serve a purpose. Sayo had discovered this one when she had been playing with them when they were discussing the how to start the training. It had released some of its length, but Sayo could only pull it a few inches before it became taut. The three of them were still baffled at what it was supposed to do, but it was still nice to note.

The skull that had moved under Sayo's touch refused to move again no matter how many times they had touched it. Slapping, poking, petting, punching; none of these warranted any reaction from the skull. Sayo eventually admitted that it may have been her imagination, but Tatsumi refused to take that as an answer. Teigu were _weird_, and he reassured her that they would eventually figure out what the skull's purpose was.

Death was cool in some aspects, but with each new difference they found, Tatsumi only missed Incursio more and more. He wondered if he would be allowed to bond with Incursio if Bulat died, and immediately felt guilty about thinking about Bulat's death. His armor seemed annoyed too at his thoughts, and the fact that he could feel the annoyance radiating off Death made him quite worried. He had never felt Incursio this intimately and it made him wonder just how many things had been changed.

He didn't have time to be thinking, because he was forced to roll to the side again in order to dodge Ieyasu's lunge forward. The axe hit the ground hard, denting it and sticking to the axe's blade when Ieyasu swung it back to rest it upon his shoulders. "Aw," complained Ieyasu, "thought I got you for certain that time."

"Nope," Tatsumi chuckled, "I could feel you from a mile away."

"Alright there, boys," said Sayo, coming out from behind the trees she had been hiding behind. "How about we call it a day?"

They had been training for a while; it was no wonder Sayo wanted to go home and sleep. The revelations and then the brainpower used to figure out the teigu had made them all tired. Tatsumi was just about to agree with her when a howl pierced through the air.

Dangerbeasts.

"Get behind me," said Tatsumi, concentrating hard to call his scythe to him. It appeared in seconds and he closed his hand around the hilt. He hadn't had time to test it out, but it looked like he was going to have to learn on the job. It sounded like a lot were surrounding them; after all, wolves never traveled alone.

The scythe would be useful because of its range. If he was able to get in the middle of them and do a sweep around him, then the wolves would all die. Of course, he still wasn't used to the weight and would have trouble managing it, but it was better than fighting with his fists.

The first wolf that appeared was shot down immediately by Sayo, an arrow sticking out of its forehead. "Nice one!" praised Ieyasu, but fell silent when two more took its place.

They were overrun in a manner of seconds. No matter how many they cut down, there was one to take its place. It was a gruesome battle, made more difficult by the fact that Sayo had no close-combat skills, forcing Tatsumi to try his best to keep them away from her by either using his scythe or Death to fly her short distances away. Ieyasu was able to take them out in large quantities, but his axe encumbered him and he was slow in bringing the weapon down again.

Luckily, the wolves weren't dangerbeasts; they were mere annoyances at best. The battle was over in minutes and when they finished, there was a circle of dead wolves around them.

"Well, I didn't think they would be all the way out here," observed Sayo, climbing gingerly off Tasumi's armor and examining the dead wolves with interest. "They normally don't attack unprovoked."

"I have a theory," said Ieyasu.

"What, you thinking?" teased Sayo, but at Ieyasu's irritated look, she fell silent.

"I think they're attracted to Tatsumi's teigu. I feel it too sometimes."

"What are you guys talking about?" Tatsumi asked, concentrating to put his scythe away after wiping it down on the grass.

"I know what he means. I don't know how to explain it but when I'm around your teigu too much I feel bloodlust."

Tatsumi blinked in surprise, walking over to where Sayo had knelt next to a dead wolf. He fell to his knees too, bending so he would be able to examine them just as Sayo had.

"I don't see -" he was cut off when a sharp pain erupted from his shoulder, making him gasp aloud in a combination of shock and pain. "What the- "

Sayo shrieked when she turned to look at him. She held out a hand shakily, gesturing vaguely to it as she stuttered, "What is that?"

Green, silvery strands connected the skull on his right shoulder to the dead wolf. The transfer was over in seconds, leaving Tatsumi lightheaded. A strange compulsion lingered though, forcing Tatsumi to stand shakily and head to the next wolf.

He was weary to the bone when he finished, and it was only when the last wolf was done did the haze lift. Tatsumi could barely keep his eyes open and in seconds, was hurtling toward the ground as bone-deep exhaustion set in.

Ieyasu caught him before he could hit the ground and Sayo was there next to him in seconds.

"Is he okay?" she asked worriedly.

Tatsumi tried to reassure her, but he couldn't make his muscles move. Death melted away from him as his energy ran out.

The last thing he heard before he passed out was their worried voices.

* * *

><p>AN: Hopefully, you guys enjoyed this chapter! Sorry if it's a little OOC/AU since I'm not sure what Sayo and Ieyasu were really like I made Ieyasu a little bit like Naruto and Sayo the kind older sister kind of girl. I wanted them to treat Tatsumi as if they wanted to protect him so I made him younger then the pair. Tatsumi's parents were never mentioned in the manga, right? Is he an orphan or does he have parents?

Thank you all for the super lovely reviews! It really helped me get this chapter written. Special thanks to Watanuki Kimihiro and BlackDisciple for helping me get the story sorted! I lost a lot of inspiration because I wasn't sure how to continue the next few chapters, but they really helped.

Please review/fav/alert! ^_^

Next chapter will probably come on Friday again.


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